I'm trying to figure out what to get people for Christmas, particularly my dad. I thought maybe somebody here would have an idea. The problem is that when my dad fancies something (not even wants it, just thinks it would be cool to have), he goes out and buys it immediately. So we have to think a step ahead. He finally got his Android phone a month or so ago. It was supposed to be a birthday present. His birthday is May 16. They had a 2-for-1 deal, so my mom got one too. I didn't think she'd used her Android, but actually she has been using hers, but he hasn't been using his! And my mom is normally paranoid of technology! She freaked out when we had to get her a new computer, and it contained Windows 7 instead of Windows 98, which she had been running!

I just bought a set of DVDs for my mom for Christmas. We like to watch DVDs together. I also bought two DVDs for my sister-in-law, and then while she is here, my mom and I are going to purchase some Mary Kay stuff for her. We have showered her with eye shadow and blush, so she won't need that, but I thought we'd get her facial cleanser and the day and night creams, as well as the moisturier which you use with the foundation. Because I am a registered seller with Mary Kay, I have samples of each of the foundation colors, so we can find the color that looks best on her. We'll offer her several of the items and let her choose which she wants the most. The DVDs I bought for her are IQ with Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins, and Walter Matthau and is a delight. I also got her a copy of Shadowlands, the movie about the love between C.S. Lewis and his wife, whom he married just to let her stay in England. But when she got cancer, her realized he really did love her and was a a highly devoted husband to her. I find that movie so inspiring for myself to see that there are good people out there who are eager to help out. And I call it the ultimate love story because most love stories just follow them until they fall in love, and everyone lives happily ever after. But that isn't life. This movie shows true love as it is lived out day to day. If you haven't seen it, run to get it, but go to eBay and not Amazon because I origially bought a copy for myself when I was sleepy and bought it off Amazon Marketplace used for $30. You can get it for less than half that price on eBay!

And as for my brother, I'm going to get him a bunch of Hickory Farms stuff. He ADORES their beef sticks, so it has become a tradition that I get him a beef stick or three. Instead of geting the really long one, I get three smaller ones because they are easier to pack. But I'd like to get him something a little extra. Any ideas? He's a big techie, but since he has been in Brazil he hasn't been able to buy things for himself until now.

But the real question is about my dad. Are there are extra features for his Android that I might buy? Even though he doesn't use it now, he might start to. And giving him an extra feature might provide incentive. I'm open to other "guy" types of presents, with the understanding that he is off his foot right now, and while he'll be walking again by the time Andrew and Marina come from Brazil, he is looking at another surgery to rebuild the foot, and that will keep him off the foot for 6 months! He just bought a new knee walker that came in the mail today. He had been renting his previous one, but because he expects to be laid up for so long decided to spend the money to buy it, and although the rental company will apply half the cost of renting to buying your current walker, it was over $150 difference between that one and a brand new one of the same make!

Are you all preparing for Christmas? We have done anything to decorate. We may consider putting up a tree on December 18 with the ISI students, depending upon how large a group we have. If we have too many, it will be too complicated to arrange. And the deal would be that they would help take it down as well as put it up. But I think it would be fun to put it up with them if possible. We need to get get out our CHristmas supplies, but a lot are put up so high that only my dad can reach them. But since he is off his foot, he can't reach them anymore, so we need to go over to my condo where my friend and her daughter are living and get the limited Christmas supplies that I had at the time. We were supposed to go for dinner last night, but they had to postpone until Tuesday.

So I though that maybe this could be a page where we can suggest ideas for each other for Christmas presents and not just for me to ask for help. Do other people have ones who are hard to shop for? Maybe we can put our heads together and come up with something, preferably something that we can order online, so we don't have to brave the worlds of the shopping malls!